Glory Fades
by SoulessObsession
Summary: Set during the Third Quarter Quell, Johanna Mason is angry. Livid, furious, pissed off even... because she has to go back. With Katniss Everdeen no doubt. And she is murderous. Thrown back into the Games, Johanna is torn between who to trust. A girl who she hates, or the Capitol, who she hates even more.
1. Chapter 1

The muscles in my arms and shoulders screamed at me as I pulled back the axe and swung it down again. The blade cut through the wood cleanly, leaving two halves. The smell of wet wood filled my nostrils and I sighed, closing my eyes, letting the scent clear my mind. The forest was silent, aside from the continuing sound of axes cutting through wood. There were at least ten other District 7 workers lined up next to me, all of their muscles straining at the hard labour. Don't get me wrong, compared to other districts, like 12, we have it easy. Great in fact. Not quite Capitol, but it wasn't awful. And we weren't starving.

The sudden song of a Mockingjay pierced through the silence and I looked up into the green foliage, trying to spot the beautiful bird. I found it on a branch nearby. It appeared to be observing our work and I frowned slightly. The Capitol had created these creatures by mating jabberjays and mockingbirds. I didn't trust them. I didn't trust anything manufactured by the Capitol. I observed the bird further, and my dislike deepened. Not only did the Capitol create this bird, but Katniss Everdeen seemed to have adopted it as her token. _The Girl on Fire, _I thought bitterly.

"Five minutes!" The Peacekeeper overseeing the chopping of the wood barked. His voice was harsh and I grimaced. I hated the Peacekeepers just as much as I hated the Capitol… and Katniss Everdeen. With a sigh of relief, I dropped the axe with a loud clump, and stood up straight, groaning as my back complained. I stretched and flicked my brown hair off of my slick forehead. I was sweating in places I never thought you could sweat from. I felt disgusting.

As I gathered up my chopped wood, I reflected on how grateful I was that I had been handling an axe my entire life. I knew that if I hadn't, I would be finding this work extremely challenging. District 7… we are the district of lumber, which we provide for the Capitol. Without my skills to wield an axe, I would never have won the 71st Hunger Games and for that, I am grateful.

The people around me started walking in line, back to the lumber mills, holding their piles of cut wood. I stepped into place, ignoring the wide berth everyone else gave me. Ever since winning the Games, people treated me differently. It was to be expected, but it still got on my nerves. Ahead, two Peacekeepers led us to the mills and we walked in silence. One wrong move and the Peacekeepers would have our throats.

"Mason!" I looked up to see a Peacekeeper glaring down at me. I realised I'd stopped walking and I bit my lip, staring defiantly back at the evil man. I couldn't see his eyes as they were covered by a black visor. Peacekeepers wore traditional white helmets, with a matching white uniform. By his side a baton was strapped and I eyed it warily. I've seen them use it before. It doesn't happen often in District 7 but I've seen what happens in other districts. Although, I doubt they would attack a former Victor. Too much outrage from the Capitol.

"Yes?" I asked. We stared at each other for a moment more. I was aware of other people watching but I wasn't going to back down. No way.

"Get back in line," the Peacekeeper said finally, turning back around to bark more orders. I let out a breath and tried to calm my pounding heart. Getting back in line, I was eager to be rid of the wood so I could head back home to the Victor's Village. After winning the Games, Victor's had a special place to live. The houses were considerably nicer than the rest of District 7 but it was lonely. Not many people from District 7 win the Hunger Games. I also had no family left to live with me so I was on my own most of the time. Loneliness was the only reason I went to work chopping wood. Being a Victor meant I was stupidly rich and I didn't have to do what every other person in District 7 did every day. I only chose to go to work as a distraction.

After discarding the wood, I headed back into town with the others. It was a relief to exit the forest's hairline and see the smoke of chimney's in the distance. I've had enough of green for today. I walked through town and shivered as the sun started to go down, a chilling breeze drafting through the alleyways. At every turn, at least two Peacekeepers kept guard, their batons at the ready. I kept walking with my head down. I didn't want an unwelcome run in. All I wanted was a hot shower and a good night sleep.

I hurried past homes with their lights still on, warmth emanating from the doorways. I passed the bakery and the gorgeous smell of fresh bread wafted into my nostrils and my stomach growled almost embarrassingly. Why did the Victor's Village have to be on the very edge of District 7?

After another ten minutes of walking, arms wrapped around my torso and struggling against the sudden wind that had picked up, I finally reached the outskirts of town which held the gate that led to the Victor's Village. The large, iron gate creaked loudly when I pushed it open and I winced at the noise. It was similar to that of a nail being scratched against a chalkboard. I stood for a second, at the border of the village and once again, marvelled at the luxury of it all. There were six, large mansions on either side of me, being twelve in total, with a water fountain in the middle of the village that was constantly spouting water. It was intricate in design and I appreciated the amount of work it would have taken to create such a thing. However, I found the constant water flowing from it a waste. Why couldn't they save that water and give it to the districts that needed it?

Shaking my head, I went to the front door of my house and opened it. It was dark and gloomy, the silence reverberating in my head. The longer I stood there, the more my heart sunk and the loneliness really set in. I sighed and went in, flipping on the lights. That brightened the place up a bit and I went into the lounge. My eyes immediately set on the large TV screen adorned on the wall. Every room in this house had a TV in it. Compliments from the Capitol. Without really thinking about it, I flipped the screen on. There were no channels, only what the Capitol chose to let you see. Right now, they were replaying Katniss Everdeen's win of the latest Hunger Games, the 74th. The two victor's had been doing the Victory Tour where they stopped at every district to give their condolences. It had been showing on TV for the past year. I was getting sick of seeing Katniss Everdeen's overly happy face. I scowled at the screen as the brunette and that stupid boy, Peeta Mellark, held hands. They were being interviewed by Caesar Flickerman (his hair was blue this time).

"I couldn't imagine a life without him-" Katniss was saying with her sickly sweet smile and those puppy dog eyes. I refrained the urge to throw up.

"For God's sake!" I yelled at the screen. "It's been almost a year since they won! Give it a fucking break!" I wanted to punch something but I settled for throwing a pillow at the wall. "Such bullshit." I walked to the kitchen and pulled out some bread from the pantry, and chewed on it. It wasn't particularly fresh but I was too lazy to buy some more. Against my better judgement, I went and sat back down in front of the TV, cursing the Capitol some more. I turned the volume up and settled back into the cushions, feeling my muscles relax.

"I'm going to be so sore tomorrow," I muttered.

"Capitol announcement," the TV suddenly screeched out and I turned my attention to the screen. Caesar Flickerman appeared, this time his hair was dyed purple and he had a giant grin on his face. My stomach sank. Whatever news the Capitol thought was good, never was for the rest of us.

"Good evening Districts of Panem," cheers and claps sounded from the Capitol audience behind him. "Tonight is a very exciting night!"

"Sure," I scoffed picking at my nails. God I needed a shower.

"As you all know, it's the 75th Annual Hunger Games this year!" More cheers. "Which means, drum roll please," there was a drum roll and I rolled my eyes. "…the Third Quarter Quell!" My eyes widened and my stomach dropped completely. The bread I was chewing on fell in my lap, forgotten.

"Shit…" I whispered. The audience on the TV was going wild, much like my heart was right now. The Third Quarter Quell… who knows what they would have cooked up for this. The thought of it brought dread and I closed my eyes, trying to control my breathing.

"It's okay. You'll be mentoring as usual, that's all," I told myself. Because I was a Victor, every annual Hunger Games I had to mentor the two tributes that came from my district. I hated it. It was the worst feeling in the world to get to know these kids, only to have them die later on. It made you feel responsible. I could completely understand why Haymitch from District 12 indulged himself on alcohol. If only I could find a way to forget everything like that. With a sigh, I switched the TV off and stood up, making my way upstairs to the bathroom. I decided to have a bath. I ran the hot water and sat in it, feeling my muscles ache. It felt incredible though, to have all the sweat and dirt wash off of me. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.

"Stop thinking Johanna, it won't help anything," I murmured and sank lower into the bath, letting the hot water wash over my face. I came back up and grabbed a sponge, slowly dragging it across my skin. I scrubbed at my arms and examined the many scars adorning them. All marks from the Hunger Games. In my mind's eye, I watched myself throw the deadly axe at the last remaining tribute. It buried in his back and he fell forward, his eyes unseeing. I gasped and closed my own eyes, tears building at the back of them.

"Fuck them," I sobbed. "I will get the Capitol back. They will know the pain they've caused," I vowed.

I stayed in the bath until the water ran cold and my skin turned wrinkly. I heaved myself out of the tub and drained the dirty water, wrapping a towel around myself. I glimpsed at myself in the mirror and was shocked at how empty and sore my eyes looked.

"Jesus," I muttered touching my face, hardly believing that the person I was looking at was me. My brown hair was plastered against my face, and I dropped my towel, looking at how skinny I was. My collar bones and ribs were protruding out and I swallowed, touching myself gently. "I look like a ghost." I shook my head and gathered up my towel again, drying my hair and walking into my bedroom. It was my favourite room out of the entire house. It was large, and comfortable and the bed was to die for. I collapsed onto the sheets and felt weariness over take me.

The last thought I had was of Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire.


	2. Chapter 2

The snow crunched under my feet as the cold bit at my skin. Shuddering slightly I pulled my coat closer towards me and rubbed my hands together, blowing on them, trying to get some warmth flowing. The sudden unexpected weather had come in last night and I had a suspicious feeling it had something to do with the Capitol. I didn't put it past them to be able to control the weather at some degree. It felt like they were preparing us for something. For what, I wasn't sure.

My entire world was grey, the bleakest colour on the spectrum. There was a tugging feeling in my gut, as if something major was about to happen. It had my nerves on edge and I couldn't stop the twitching of my fingers as I strode into the heart of District 7, intent on buying a fresh loaf of hot bread.

There were people milling about and I struggled against the rising irritation I felt against them. They were literally standing in the middle of the streets while the snow whirled against them, doing nothing to try and get to cover. I shook my head at a woman who was shivering from the cold, feeling no sympathy, and hurried to the baker's shop. The smell emanating from this store was indescribable. It smelt like happiness and love rolled into one. A grin formed on my face.

Food.

I stepped into the warm bakery and closed my eyes, letting out a quick sigh. It was perfect in here. It was quiet except for the background noise of the TV that was hanging on the wall behind the counter. Still smiling, I went over to the display case that was showing off all the wonderful delicacies and delights. There were loaves of hot bread everywhere. And cakes. Beautiful cakes that had been decorated with all sorts of intricate designs. My eyes wandered over the different colours; red, blue, black. Suddenly I spotted a small cupcake hiding behind what looked like a wedding cake (maybe for the Capitol) which had a Mockingjay design iced on the top. Anger rose in my veins like wildfire and I gritted my teeth. How was this allowed in a baker's shop? How have they not been caught and flogged by now? This was definitely against the rules.

"Johanna! What a lovely surprise!" I looked up to see Mr Lockman (the owner of the store) smiling with all his teeth. I returned it albeit slightly thin lipped. "I haven't seen you in here in a long time."

"Yeah, well, I figured it was time to buy another loaf of Mr Lockman's famous hot bread," I replied, looking back down at the discriminating cupcake. I hesitated. "Mr Lockman… you do know that you could get into a lot of trouble for that pastry, right?" The smile on the elderly man's face disappeared as he leaned over the counter to see which one I was talking about.

"Ah," was all he said. I stared at him.

"You're supporting something that could potentially start an all-out riot," I pointed out bluntly. "Katniss Everdeen is a trouble maker." Mr Lockman gave me a piercing look to which I frowned at.

"I'm surprised at you Miss Mason. I thought you of all people would second the rebellion against the Capitol." My eyebrows shot up and slight fear raised its ugly head.

"Mr Lockman! Keep your voice down!" I hissed glancing over my shoulder. There was one other person in the store near the back, eating a sandwich. He didn't appear to have heard but I couldn't take any chances.

"Don't worry about him. He's deaf as a post," Mr Lockman waved a hand.

"You know the Capitol has other ways of finding out their information!" my voice was getting slightly high and I struggled to bring it back down. "Especially about _this_. President Snow will be seeking out _anyone _supporting this… this _rebellion_."

"The Games have made you afraid Johanna. I remember when you would have done anything to take a shot against the Capitol."

His words felt like a bullet to the chest. Icy anger and fear spread throughout my veins so that my heart was racing. I was…hurt by what he said. Leaning over the counter, I got so close to the man's face I could feel his warm breath against my skin. I mustered the most deadly glare I could and jabbed him in the chest over his white apron.

"Why don't you try being forced to kill five people in cold blood?" I growled as lowly as I could. "Then, and _only_ then, can you tell me my fear isn't justified." I let go of him and stepped back, taking a deep breath. Mr Lockman's face was passive.

"I would be angry-"

I turned on him again, the rage at boiling point.

"You don't think I'm not!? I would love to see those _bastards_ taken down but I've experienced firsthand at what they can do! We have _no _chance! Katniss Everdeen will be dead by the end of the Third Quarter Quell. _Mark my words_."

The shock on the man's face was evident and I smirked internally, feeling satisfaction soften the anger slightly. He knew my words were right. The only problem with these _damn _people was that they latched onto whatever hope they could, but never actually _do_ anything about it. This rebellion could work but only if everybody joined together as one. There was no way the Capitol would be able to bomb every district. And I knew that there was also no way that President Snow could let Katniss Everdeen live. She was too dangerous.

"You have to have _hope_ Johanna." I looked at Mr Lockman's face and saw such earnest truth there that I found it difficult to keep my eyes on his. He believed this so truly that I felt sorry for him. I felt sorry for him because I knew the truth. Things were never getting any better than this.

"Am I supposed to let Katniss Everdeen be my beacon of light?" I asked sarcastically.

"If not her, then who?"

That stopped me in my tracks. _If not her, then who? _He was right to some degree. I didn't see anybody else standing up to the Capitol. But then I realised that Katniss Everdeen _wasn't _standing up to the Capitol. She was just fighting for her own life. The bullshit love story that they had concocted between her and Peeta Mellark was clearly fake. It was clearly to cover their own backsides as they try desperately to get out of the shit hole that they dug themselves in with those damn berries in the arena. Katniss Everdeen was not interested in a rebellion. She was not interested in changing things. She just wanted to keep her life.

This was something I understood well.

_If not her, then who? _

Me. _I_ will become my beacon of light. Mr Lockman was right. I couldn't hide from the Capitol forever. Especially with this Third Quarter Quell coming up. The Capitol had something brewing. And I was going to stir shit up.

"Me," I said firmly. A knowing smile crept on the man's face as he nodded. That damn baker knew exactly what he was doing the entire time!

"There's the Johanna I was looking for."

I swallowed sudden emotion and was just about to thank him when the TV behind his head blared the tell-tale Capitol announcement alarm. I felt apprehension as we both turned cautiously to the screen. My palms were sweaty.

Caesar Flickerman once again appeared into view, his hair still a deep purple. Just like last night, he had an unnerving grin adorned on his face and I closed my eyes momentarily, knowing they were about to announce something big. Something that would affect our lives drastically.

"Good morning districts of Panem!" There was applause. "We have an extremely important announcement to make that involves the Third Quarter Quell!" More applause. "For those who don't know the Quells mark the anniversaries of the districts' defeat and that is cause for special celebrations!"

I was livid.

Caesar Flickerman suddenly put his hand to his ear as if he was getting interference. The smile never left his face.

"Change of plans people! This announcement will be broadcasted by the President himself!" The applause was deafening and I fought the sudden nausea. There was a moment of silence when the image of our President was projected on the screen. Every nerve in my body fought to flee when my eyes set on this evil man. He was small, thin, with paper-white hair and thick lips that seem pulled across his face. They looked like they had been altered to make them more appealing but I only felt disgust for this human being. This was the man that forced me to kill.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Now we honour our Third Quarter Quell on the 75th anniversary as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the capitol," Snow reached for an envelope and opened it. "The male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors."

My heart broke. I felt my very soul snapping in half as those words cut through me like a knife. Tears pooled in my eyes as I felt the need to scream. I wanted to die. I wanted to escape.

_I was going back into the arena._

This was the ultimate blow. This was President Snow sending a message to Katniss Everdeen that no matter what she tried, she would fail. Murderous rage flared inside of my chest.

President Snow would not get away with this.

I was aware of Mr Lockman's eyes on me. I looked at the man and saw the pity and shock there. Clenching my fists, I gave him a thin smile.

"Don't worry Mr Lockman. The rebellion is about to begin," I vowed.

"Here, take this," he handed me a loaf of steaming hot bread in a bag. "Free of charge." I felt such gratitude that I was worried I would start crying again. I took the bag and thanked him.

"Things are going to change around here!" I said loudly before exiting the shop and heading into the cold. Everybody in district 7 had seen the announcement and all eyes were on me. Everybody knew I was going back into the Games as I was the only female victor in this district.

As I headed to my home, head held high, hands warm from the bread, I couldn't help but wonder how Katniss Everdeen was feeling at this moment.


End file.
